Staircase



, 2Sheets Sheet 1; A. ELIAERS.

Staircase; v

Patented Jan. 13, 1857.

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Sheets-Sheet 2. i

A. ELIAERS.

Staircase.

Patented Jan. 13, 1857.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTUS ELIAERS, OE BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

STAIRCASE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 16,380, dated January 13, 1857.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUeUsTUs ELIAERS, of Boston, in the county ofSuifolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in the Construction of Staircases, and that the followingdescription, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,hereinafter referred to, forms a full and exact specification of thesame, wherein I have set forth the nature and principles of my saidimprovements, by which my invention may be distinguished from others ofa similar class, together with such parts as I claim and desire to havesecured to me by Letters Patent.

The figures of the accompanying plates of drawings represent myimprovements.

In Plate 1 Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved staircase. Fig. 2is a partial elevation showing a different mode of ornamenting. In Plate2, Fig. 3 is a plan or top view of the staircase. Figs. 4 and 5 aredetail views of the string-pieces. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of thebaluster &c. Fig. 7, is a detail View to be hereinafter referred to.

To construct a staircase which shall be portable, that is, so contrivedas to be adapted to any height of ceiling, by simply leaving out oradding any number of steps, and so as to be set up or dismembered withease and without injury to any of its parts, is the object aimed at andobtained by the present invention. These results are effected by myimprovements, the string pieces to each step being independent of eachother, and the treads, balusters and string pieces being fastenedtogether in such a manner that the treads shall be gripped by the stringpieces, the baluster passing through two or three string-pieces, (as thecase may be) and two treads, and fastened by a screw and nut. By theordinary mode of constructing stair-cases the tread is fastened to thestring-piece which has to be mortised and cut away to receive it therebylessening its strength. In the present invention the tread is held byand between the independent string-pieces, and projects through andbeyond them forming the ornamental molding which by the ordinary methodhas to be added by nailing or otherwise.

In the accompanying drawings a a a a represent the rails of the stairs.

I) b are the treads.

0 0, &c., are the string-pieces composed of separate and independentparts.

The tread b is placed between two of these independent string pieces andgripped by them as shown in the drawings, the balusters cl d, &c.,having a bolt 6 which is attached to or forms a part of the balusterthat eX- tends through the string-pieces and treads and is secured by anut f, thereby binding the treads, balusters, and string-pieces firmlytogether. The stairs can thus be taken down by simply unscrewing the nutf when the parts will be dismembered, and can also be as readily set up,forming in fact a portable stair-case, which can be adapted to anyheight of ceiling by leaving out, or adding any number of stairs as thecase may re quire. Another advantage of this improvement consists in thefact, that the balusters are all of equal length, which advantage couldnot be secured by the ordinary mode of construction without adding anextra piece to the stringer at each step. The fa cilities forornamenting the stair-case are also greatly facilitated as will readilybe seen by inspection of Fig. 2, while at the same time the stair-caseis much stronger than ordinary ones. In Fig. 7 the bolt f instead offorming a part of the balustrade which is the case when the balustradeis formed of metal, is attached thereto by a pin it. The mode ofsecuring the tread by gripping in building stair-cases of stone, marble,or metal, as by the usual method of construction the treads cannot bereadily and securely fastened to the string-pieces.

Having thus described my improvements I shall state my claims asfollows:

hat I claim as my invention and desire to have secured to me by LettersPatent is The above described improvement in the construction ofstair-cases, the same consisting in forming separate and independentstring pieces between which the treads are held and gripped, the wholebeing secured by a screw bolt that forms a part of, or is attached tothe baluster as above set forth.

AUGUSTUS ELIAERS Witnesses:

ESIA LINCOLN, JOSEPH GAVETT.

